Rating: 5 stars
Synopsis: Eighteen-year-old Celaena Sardothien is bold, daring and beautiful - the perfect seductress and the greatest assassin her world has ever known. But though she won the King's contest and became his champion, Celaena has been granted neither her liberty nor the freedom to follow her heart. The slavery of the suffocating salt mines of Endovier that scarred her past is nothing compared to a life bound to her darkest enemy, a king whose rule is so dark and evil it is near impossible to defy. Celaena faces a choice that is tearing her heart to pieces: kill in cold blood for a man she hates, or risk sentencing those she loves to death. Celaena must decide what she will fight for: survival, love or the future of a kingdom. Because an assassin cannot have it all . . . And trying to may just destroy her.
WARNING. THERE BE SPOILERS AHEAD...
Okay so lets start with Celaena and her new role as the King's Champion. I knew right off the bat that she wasn't killing her targets. Sarah kind of lets us know this by stopping the opening chapter with her sword over the guy but even if you missed it from that, Celaena is pretty clear in Throne of Glass that the only reason she is taking part in this competition is because she wants to be free and working for the King for a few years is her only shot at that. Just because she won the competition, doesn't mean she's happy about it. I did admire her for going through with her promise though. I was a little worried at the end of Throne of Glass that maybe she wouldn't have the courage to not kill her targets because the King has threatened Chaol and Nehemia but, I shouldn't have worried about it. It takes guts to defy the King, and to have done it from the very beginning (in more ways than one) is actually quite amazing to see.
I also knew that Archer Finn was up to no good. I suspected that he was actually working with the rebel group but I didn't realise how much sway he held with them. Celaena really should have just killed him after he let her down the first time, rather than giving him a second chance, because he ended up being more trouble than he was worth. I did quite like the idea of Archer underestimating Celaeana though. He knew her when she was growing up in the Assassin's Keep and she had a crush on him and I think that, despite all the rumours and stories that floated around Rifthold about Celaena, he simply saw her as that child. Well, she soon proved him wrong. That scene in the sewer, was so well written. His mistake was telling her that she's a good person and you just knew, the moment he said that, that he wasn't going to make it. Her rebuttal that she's not a good person but Nehemia was - my heart. It broke all over again for her in that moment.
I really enjoyed seeing Chaol and Celaena grow closer together. I thought their relationship was quite sweet and the birthday dinner that Celaena organised in the apothecary roof garden was beautiful. I did laugh when she decided that was the moment to tell Chaol all about how she wasn't really killing the King's enemies. Of all the times to tell the person you like, you choose now when you're about to kiss? I really liked that Chaol chose Celaena in that moment. He told her that he would go with her when she's finally freed from the King. It's the first time since Sam that someone has chosen her or is able to choose her anyway and I think it meant a lot to Celaena that he would do that for her. I also thought it was hilarious when Celaena came and interrupted a meeting with the guards and ended up pulling him into a closet. It was just nice to see a different side to Chaol for a little while; someone who isn't as uptight and stoic as he was made out to be in Throne of Glass. Someone who is totally up for sneaking around behind the King's back and all his guards. It was nice to see Chaol loosening up a bit. At least, for the short time we had them together. Oh, and we finally got a dance between them. When she left her post during the ball and Chaol went to find her and they ended up dancing together in the gardens! I was so happy when I read that scene because Dorian got his dance with Celaena in the last book and I was so happy that Chaol got a turn as well.
So, those were the highs of their relationship. Now for the low. The scene where Chaol was kidnapped was a heart in my throat kind of moment because I wasn't convinced that Chaol was going to make it out of there alive. And at that point, I wasn't sure Celaena would cope with losing anyone else (little did I know...) but he DID make it out alive because Celaena was a complete bad ass. That whole scene where she came in and just destroyed those rebels was so awesome. Actually, every scene where Celaena 'lost herself' was really awesome to read. The moment when Archer came through the door and explained why they had kidnapped Chaol was just....ugh! We all knew that nothing good was going to come from Chaol keeping the threat on Nehemia's life a secret from both the girls but - wow. I didn't expect it to backfire in such a gruesome way. My heart broke when I read about what had happened to Nehemia, and the fact that she knew what was coming was just so horrifying. And then Celaena full on attacked Chaol and she almost killed him. I guess I was right when I said earlier that she wouldn't survive losing someone else. The fact that Dorian risked himself and exposed his magic to stop her from killing Chaol just made me love him even more and showed that he still loved her, despite everything he said.
Throwing Celaena in the dungeons. I do understand why he did it - she was obviously dangerous but, I mean, he just left her there and let them drug her. This obviously was never going to help her in the long run and the fact that she was so eager to take the drugs and to not see anyone was so sad. Even when she was let out, she didn't leave her room. She didn't see anyone, didn't talk to anyone and the idea of her being completely alone now was so strong in these scenes. Chaol, Dorian and Nehemia were her only friends in the castle, and, in her mind, she'd lost them all. While we're on the subject though, I really loved that Dorian was there for her. When she went to his room for dinner and he asked her why she'd come and she said "because I have nowhere else to go" all the feels came out to play. I like that he didn't pressure her. He still loves her, yes, still has a grudge against Chaol for having her when he couldn't but, he is still her friend and he's there for her, despite everything that's happened between them. Equally, she didn't judge him for having magic. They both accept each other and move on. Though, Dorian having magic is scarily awesome and I'm betting it won't be long before his father finds out about it.
Killing Grave - oh my goodness. First off, I'm so glad that she finally found a use for that passage in the sewers. Second, we got to see Celaena's really dark side, the side that she's never really let out until now. Grave deserved the death he got, but I think I knew that the name he gave Celaena wasn't the right one. When she interrupted the King's meeting and dumped Grave's head on the table was such a macabre and gruesome moment and I kind of loved it. Of course, the King enjoyed the show, and it was interesting to see Celaena being honest with the King for the first time. The smile she gave him was just so perfect. It was the first time that she didn't feel guilty for murdering someone.
Baba Yellowlegs. She was so terrifying. Also, why did Celaena think that going into the caravan was a good idea? You never go into the creepy caravan, especially when you know that the woman you're following is a evil witch! Who eats children. Why? Why would you do that? She was so creepy! All I could think was that no one knows where you are, so when she turns on you, you're completely on your own. Which, I knew with anyone else Celaena could handle no problem. But she's a witch who eats people. It's not exactly your normal run-of-the-mill evil person. To be fair, Yellowlegs did underestimate Celaena but she was cutting it pretty close when she killed her. I have a feeling that killing Yellowlegs is going to come back and bite her later on, even if she did deserve it.
Can I also just mention how much I love Mort? The sassy, sarcastic door knob on the door to Elena's tomb. I loved him. He's your typical irritating magical entity that will never give you a straight answer, but I really loved him and I want to see more of him.
That secret passage beneath the library that was actually a prison was so creepy. I was fully expecting Celaena to attack Dorian because he was sneaking down there as well but that...thing. I don't even know what it is but it sounds horrible and creepy and just...no. Just no. We didn't really need any conformation that the King was sick but, if we did, I guess this would be some good evidence to use. It was like the caravan all over again. You knew nothing good was going to come from it, yet we went down there anyway and, guess what? Nothing good came from it.
Those final chapters where we were in the tomb and she opened the portal. First off, I love that Gavin came and warned Dorian that Celaena was about to do something stupid, just like Elena came to Celaena before. I liked that he was worthy of that. Secondly - you never try and contact the dead! Ever. Everyone knows this! I'm starting to see a pattern here - when Celaena is this far gone, she does a lot of stupid things that she really should know better than to do. When Nehemia comes through and tells her to shut the portal was so bittersweet because I really wanted them to reconcile and for Celaena to be able to say everything she wanted to but, on the other hand, I wanted her to close the fricking portal! But, of course, she doesn't, and Fleetfoot ends up in the portal. Chaol kind of redeemed himself in this moment because he went after Fleetfoot. You never hurt the dog. Ever. So, he got some points for going after Fleetfoot. When Celaena came through after them and shifted. Oh. My. Goodness. She's badass as a mortal, as a Fae she is terrifyingly amazing. And I can definitely see why she didn't say anything to anyone.
Sending Celaena off to Wendlyn. Okay, I get why Chaol did it. In his own way, he was trying to protect both Celaena and Dorian but, it kind of backfired on him in the most epic way. The scene where she tells Dorian that she'll come back for him was so sweet. I don't think they're ever going to be together romantically, but they're definitely friends and I liked that she didn't just leave without talking to him and making sure they were okay after everything that had happened. When she told Chaol about herself on the dock and left him with the date of her parents death, I was a little confused, until Chaol figured it out and then it all made sense. I already knew that Celaena is actually Aelin but I actually really liked how she told Chaol. This is a secret that she's kept for ten years - she's not going to openly tell him. Even in the moments before she told him the date, she told him that she didn't trust him, but she must have trusted him a little bit, to tell him this information. She trusted him not to tell the King. To keep her secret and I really admired her for doing that. Though I am curious as to why she seems to have no interest in her title. Beyond the obvious fact that her parents were murdered. What did annoy me, was Chaol's reaction to the news. He knew she was Fae - that's why he had her sent away - but discovering that she was more than that, that she's the lost princess is so much worse to him. Yes, I understand his loyalty to the King, but that same loyalty lost him the girl he loves so, you'd have thought he'd be a little more receptive to the idea.
So, that's all I wanted to talk about for this discussion. I loved this book and I am so excited to read Heir of Fire and see what happens next. If you've stuck around to the end of this review, congratulations! What's your favourite part of Crown of Midnight?
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